2 days ago
The Pahalgam attack crushed Kashmir's fledgling offbeat tourism. The Amarnath Yatra could be a new start.
SRINAGAR
:
In March 2023, the Jammu and Kashmir |(J&K) government launched an ambitious initiative to spotlight 75 offbeat destinations—37 in Jammu and the rest in the Kashmir Valley.
But April brought a brutal end to the fragile optimism that had begun to take root in these lesser-known tourist attractions.
Baisaran Valley, known as 'mini Switzerland' for its picturesque meadow, is now remembered for the haunting image of a numb young bride sitting beside her husband's lifeless body.
The first-ever terror attack on tourists in 'Paradise on Earth' claimed 26 lives, and with them, the hard-earned trust.
Six days after the 22 April attack, the Union territory's administration ordered the closure of 48 out of 87 tourist destinations across the Valley. Nearly all offbeat spots, such as Gurez Valley, Lolab Valley, Bangus Valley, Tulail Valley, Keran, and Doodhpathri, were declared off limits, leaving once-lively trails and meadows in deafening stillness.
'Coming in April, just as the peak summer season was about to begin, and directly targeting tourists, the attack dealt a heavy blow to the industry at its most crucial moment," Javed Bashir, a 33-year-old tour operator from the Baramulla district, 53 kilometres from Jammu and Kashmir's (J&K) summer capital Srinagar, told Mint.
While some tourists can be spotted at popular tourist destinations, the far-flung places remain completely deserted, said Bashir, who has been in the business since 2018.
Encouraged by the newfound normalcy in the Valley following the abrogation of Article 370, tourists turned up in droves, with J&K recording 23.6 million tourist visits in 2024—the highest ever, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25.
To accommodate this growing influx, the administration gradually started promoting offbeat destinations. Hidden valleys, quiet villages, and virgin alpine meadows began welcoming visitors, marking an unexpected turning point for tourism in the Valley.
There was a tourist boom, and with it came hope.
"Many hotels, guest houses, and other properties were under construction. People invested heavily, believing the momentum would continue. But now, it seems all is lost," said Mushtaq Chaya, chairman of the J&K Hoteliers Club.
Thousands of families who depend on tourism for their livelihood are suffering. 'Many are now on the brink of bankruptcy unless tourist confidence is restored soon," a senior tourism official told Mint on the condition of anonymity.
The official added that repeated communications with higher authorities have proven futile, as not a single site has been reopened yet.
Struggling to make ends meet, two million people—from hotel and homestay owners to their staff, tour guides, transport operators, 'ponywallahs'—are now pinning their hopes on the Amarnath Yatra (3 July to 9 August), an annual Hindu pilgrimage, to revive the industry this winter season.
Investments down the drain
The tourism had also been flourishing along the Line of Control (LoC), a rare and hopeful sight after years of uncertainty. By the summer of 2021, just months after the February ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, the streets of border villages were alive.
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For the first time in nearly three decades, people of these once-restricted zones were able to welcome tourists, both domestic and international, eager to explore the serene valleys that had long been off limits.
The calm along the border seemed to promise a new chapter for Kashmir, a peaceful and prosperous future where the beauty of the land could finally shine through without the looming threat of conflict. For example, in 2023, the border district of Kupwara hosted 140,000 tourists.
Those who invested in offbeat tourism now find themselves idle with no work.
In Kupwara's Lolab Valley, about 20 hotels set up by locals through loans and leases are now facing heavy losses, said Talib Hussain, who has lost his job as a travel agency manager.
'Between April and June, we usually see a good flow of tourists who come to enjoy trekking, camping, the gushing streams, lush green forests, and the centuries-old Kalaroos caves, but not this year," the 29-year-old told Mint.
Similarly, Keran, nestled amid lush green forests, walnut trees, meadows, streams, and wooden houses, once provided a serene escape for visitors, drawing many to its peaceful atmosphere.
One part in Kupwara district and the other in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the village is bisected by the Kishanganga River (known as Neelum on the other side), making it a unique offbeat tourist attraction.
In its Jhelum Bazar, hotelier Dilshad Ahmad Bhat remembered the joy of welcoming tourists after the 2021 ceasefire, which inspired him to take a ₹5 lakh bank loan in 2024 to renovate his hotel.
But now, 'the hotel is empty, and so are the vegetable and meat shops I used to buy from for my guests. It's not just about the money, but it is also my mental health, slipping away with every silent day," Bhat told Mint.
Gurez Valley in the Bandipora district is another breathtaking slice of paradise, bordered by thick forests, towering mountains, and the winding Kishanganga River.
Nestled 123km from Srinagar, at an altitude of 2,400 meters, once a key stop on the ancient Silk Route, the valley's beauty is rivalled only by its isolation, with snowfall cutting off access for more than six months each year.
Mohammad Ismail Lone, a homestay owner and the head of the Gurez Traders Federation, recalled with quiet pride how his modest homestay welcomed hundreds of visitors in just a single year, earning him ₹5-6 lakh, a lifeline not just for him, but also for the four employees who ran the place like family. 'After the attack, everything changed. The tourists disappeared overnight, and so did the jobs."
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'After years of living under the shadow of cross-border shelling, we were finally beginning to breathe easy, watching tourists bring life back to Gurez Valley, but we never imagined it would all slip away so soon and we would find ourselves back where we started," he added.
Today, the homestays and hotels are empty. Restaurant shutters creak half-open in the wind. Taxis purchased on credit wait silently at village junctions, their engines cold.
Livelihoods interrupted
For the past three years, 55-year-old Ghulam Qadri Bhatti and his wife Mughali had begun each morning in the hills of Doodhpathri, or 'Valley of Milk', 44km from Srinagar, by setting up their modest tea stall in the open meadows, gently brewing Nun Chai, the traditional pink salty tea of Kashmir made with green tea leaves, milk, and baking soda.
'Our days were spent making tea and talking to tourists. We served not just tea, but a piece of Kashmiri hospitality. But after the violence, the authorities told us to leave because of security concerns. Now, with no tourists around, we had to pack up our stall," said Bhatti, his voice trailing into a sigh.
For years, the region's tea sellers earned a modest living—between ₹20,000 and ₹40,000 a month—every summer.
Bhatti is one of nearly 200 such tea sellers who lost their livelihood in the aftermath of the terrorist attack.
'We are landless people. Since Doodhpathri in the Budgam district was sealed off and our stalls were shut, we have been left jobless, with nothing to do. It has become a daily struggle just to make ends meet. Our dreams of providing a better future, of sending our children to school, seem impossible now, " Bhatti said.
In the adjoining Riyar Riyar Ich village in the same district, 32-year-old tourist guide Mohammad Shafi Mir has the same story to share. For the past 13 years, he has guided visitors through Doodhpathri, supporting his entire family through this job. 'When there are no tourists, there is no work and no income," he said.
Since the attack, Mir has not earned a single rupee, calling it the most unprecedented situation he has faced in his career.
About 10,000 people directly associated with tourism, including hoteliers, transporters, pony riders, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operators, tea sellers, and tourist guides, have lost their livelihoods in Doodhpathri alone, according to Mir.
'In anticipation of the growing influx of tourists, many hoteliers and ATV operators took out loans to construct hotels and purchase ATVs. It is concerning to think how they will repay these loans, given that they are not earning anything at the moment," Mir lamented.
In Budgam's Yusmarg, pony riders sit quietly next to their horses, watching the empty paths. The place, which once echoed with tourists' adventure and the sound of hooves on the ground, is now silent.
Long-lasting impact
Political instability has a profound impact on global tourism.
'Tourists always look for peace and security, which are fundamental prerequisites for travel. Incidents like 9/11 and the 2008 Mumbai attack have had far-reaching consequences beyond their immediate regions," said Reyaz Ahmad Qureshi, head professor at the department of tourism, hospitality and leisure studies, University of Kashmir.
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He added that while Kashmir has endured a prolonged period of unrest, it has been gradually transitioning into a post-conflict phase since 2021, fostering a sense of growing optimism within the tourism sector.
He argued for a more nuanced approach to dealing the terrorism's impact on tourism. 'Sealing off tourist spots or banning trekking sends the wrong message. Offbeat destinations could be reopened gradually with proper regulation."
'We must project Kashmir as a safe, beautiful, and affordable destination. Campaigns like 'Aao Kashmir Chalein' should be sustained and should emphasize the warmth and sacrifices made by locals to ensure visitors feel welcome," added Qureshi, stressing that negative media coverage must be addressed with professionalism and assured security.
Still many, including Bashir, remain cautiously optimistic about a revival in tourism in the Union territory. He expects the Amarnath Yatra and snow-draped landscapes during winters to lure visitors back to the Valley.
'While the summer season may have slipped away in the shadow of recent events, the story is not over yet. The season is definitely behind us, but once the Amarnath Yatra concludes in August, the spotlight will shift to winter," he said.
The successful conduct of the Amarnath Yatra will now serve as a litmus test for the government's ability to restore confidence among tourists.
